Setting goals: August update

Do you ever feel like you are super busy all the time yet still don’t achieve what you want to? That is me to a tee! This is why I decided recently to start setting goals on a monthly basis to help direct my energies.

August’s goals were:

To develop the blog

I managed mostly to write three blog posts a week, which was my target. In addition, I spent some time talking to the lovely Sara at Debt Camel, who gave me some great advice on a redesign for the blog. I am working on this now and hope you will start to see some improvements. This is a long term aim as it is a big job!

To increase my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter following

I would like to reach 1000 followers on Twitter (@shoestringjane) and 2000 on Instagram (@shoestringcottage). I’m almost but not quite there yet! If you use either maybe you can help with this. Follow and retweet/like. Send me a comment and I will follow you back! A lot of you went and found me on Facebook as well, so many thanks if you did.

To increase the amount I sell on eBay

This has really improved and I have sold as much in the last 10 days as I did for the whole of July! This is partly I think because I am getting better at finding good stuff and I have been to several boot sales.

To get a new lodger

Yes! We have a new lodger arriving at the beginning of October. She is a masters student and plans to stay for a year. I have repainted all the woodwork in her room to brighten it up and will emulsion the walls as soon as I get time.

Continue with my grocery challenge

Regular readers will know that I have been on a grocery challenge to spend no more than £35 a week on food for three people per week. I have just about managed this, without feeling deprived in any way. Focussing on your spending in this way saves so much money! I am going to continue with the challenge in September, although I might relax it a little. This is where setting goals can be so motivating.

We have a really great crop of Victoria plums on our tree for the first time. They are delicious and I have frozen a few to add to our stock of blackberries and greengages. I also tried Asda’s super cheap 22p sponge mix for the first time the other day. I cooked the plums and then poured the sponge mix on top to make a frugal pudding. it was really lovely with custard. You only need to add an egg. If I was using it to make a Victoria sponge, however, I would use two packs.

Setting goals for September

Mr S is designing a new blog logo for me and it looks great! I aim to get this onto the blog as part of a redesign this month. I just have to sort out the techie bit (I am rubbish at this!). Watch this space…

I will re-emulsion the walls in the lodger’s room.

The garden is starting to fade now that we are moving into Autumn. The plan is to tidy up and weed all of the beds and dig over the veg patch (with Mr S’s help, of course).

I will sort out a new broadband contract and possibly purchase a Freeview box, although there are other possible options I need to investigate. To this end, I sought advice on the Skint Dad Community Facebook group, which turned into a really long thread full of good ideas. It seems I am not alone in thinking that Virgin, Sky, etc. are over priced!

Are you setting goals for September? Did you achieve all that you wanted this month?

Comments

I am quite a novice at blogging, but if it’s not a daft question, why do you want more ‘followers’ on Facebook and Twitter? Perhaps it’s to monetize your blog. I don’t do that, but if you don’t monetize (awful word, but I believe it’s what it’s called) why the need for followers, etc. I’m not being facetious, I would really like to know. I am inundated by spam emails to my blog, pestering me to make money out of it. I do my blog for fun, it is totally advert-free, and if I like product, I mention it, but it’s all purely subjective, as if I’m saying to a friend, “Hey, I bought such-and-such the other day and it’s lovely!” (or the opposite, of course, “it’s rubbish!”)
But good luck with getting more followers. I don’t ‘do’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or any of the social media sites, just my blog. That is sufficient to keep me busy, ha ha!
Margaret Phttp://www.margaretpowling.com

Hi Margaret, good question! Yes, I would like to monetise my blog in a small way and to do that I need to be able to show engagement. I have no intention of endorsing or reviewing products that I don’t really like. I think it’s really important to have a bit of integrity

My main goal for August was to get through it. I work three different jobs one being a Summer job which also pays the most. (I also sell on eBay) I decided months ago to put my two weeks notice in for one of my jobs which I did yesterday. So, August is done! For Sept. I also want to get more items up for Sale on eBay. I have a shop so I can add a lot more product. Since we live in a tiny house, no garage, I have to pick and choose. That and menu plan. After a crazy Summer, I want simple!

Look at freestat boxes, you need a dish for reception, you can watch programmes and also record them. You can get refurbished boxes which are cheaper. We have had a Humax box for years, it’s saved us a lot of money over the years.

August was my quiet month so I tried to use the time productively! I cleaned out a few kitchen cupboards and did some batch cooking for the freezer.
I know the autumn months will get busier so it all helps. We managed to paint the dining room too.

I’m keeping track of my spending by writing it all in a budget book (bought on Amazon back in January). It’s reduced any impulse spending and helped me focus on putting money aside for a holiday and some DIY things we’d like to do.

Moving forward into autumn I’m embarking on a part time floristry course (I’m a frustrated florist I think!) I’ve paid the course fees now and am excited to begin at the end of September. It’s been a longtime since I was a student!

We all need goals!.
Yep today hit mine after 5.5 years of chucking every penny at the mortgage including lodger money. I,m now Freeeeeeeeeeeee 14 years early!.House is mine
Always dangled the carrot first 2 pays after mortgage paid, will splash some cash on a coat, posh handbag, bottle of champagne. Erm what did I buy 2 tops and a jumper in a charity shop £7.99. One is too tight will take back!.Peas in pods reduced to 69p, bag of diced onion oh the expense, pack of bacon in the co op! To make pea n ham soup full priced leek , ha ha. Bottle of plonk £4.29 . I now can,t spend money.
After being so frugal literally counting every penny, I can,t untighten the purse strings.
Thats ok will go in to next goal travel fund . But will have a huge ice cream from the ice cream van tonight even if it is £3.00 or more.
Yep goals are great, sure halfway mark is hard and was so tempted to give up , but stuck with it, boots have holes, kitchen is on its last Legs, but no one can ever take my house away!.

About Me

Would you like to take control of your finances, pay off your debts and save for the future? At Shoestring Cottage we aim to show you that you can live a good and happy life on less than you think, you can get off the consumer treadmill and you can live more simply and healthily and not feel deprived.
We are also moving toward a less wasteful, more sustainable lifestyle and believe frugality and sustainability go hand in hand. Read More…